chicory

or chic·co·ry

[ chik-uh-ree ]

noun

, plural chic·o·ries.

1. a composite plant, Cichorium intybus, having bright-blue flower heads and toothed oblong leaves, cultivated as a salad plant and for its root, which is used roasted and ground as a substitute for or additive to coffee. Compare endive ( def 2 ).
2. the root of this plant.

chicory

/ ˈtʃɪkərɪ /

noun

1. Also calledsuccory a blue-flowered plant, Cichorium intybus, cultivated for its leaves, which are used in salads, and for its roots: family Asteraceae (composites)
2. the root of this plant, roasted, dried, and used as a coffee substitute

Word History and Origins

Origin of chicory¹

1350–1400; < Middle French chicoree, alteration of earlier cicoree (by influence of Italian cicoria ) < Latin cichorēa < Greek kichória, kíchora (neuter plurals); replacing Middle English cicoree < Middle French

Word History and Origins

Origin of chicory¹

C15: from Old French chicorée, from Latin cichorium, from Greek kikhōrion

Example Sentences

Roasted and ground lupin, chickpea, malted barley, and chicory are amongst the major ingredients the company works with, along with an undisclosed natural flavouring.

From BBC

He showed us how to search out berries, wild garlic, chicory, and cattails.

From Literature

And yet, as one of the teenagers feels while riding her Schwinn as fast as she can down a country road, “the world smelled like corn and chicory flower and drying dirt and woods.”

From Los Angeles Times

For my fellow morning caffeine drinkers who don't do decaf, moving over to herbal tea or the southern standby chicory can a reasonably painless switch.

From Salon

These indigestible dietary fibres are found in plant-derived foods such as onions, leeks, artichokes, wheat, bananas, and in high concentrations in chicory root.

From Science Daily